Clutch baffle plate



Jan. 20, 1942. R. c. sToLTE 2,270,482

CLUTCH BAFFLE PLATE Filed NOV. 30, 1939 Gttomegs Patented Jan. 20, 1942 CLUTCH BAFFLE PLATE Richard C. Stolte, Lansing, Mich., assgnor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application November 30, 1939, Serial No. 306,938 i 9 Claims.

This invention relates to clutches and concerns means to prevent oil from reaching the driven plate. In the past when bales have been used for this purpose, they have been made of metal and have tended to transmit engine noises.

shall not transmit noise.

clutch embodying the engine.

plate.

by bolts 9.

starting motor.

wheel at I5.

one of which is seen at 3l.

pressure plate.

clutch pedal not shown.

to check this admission of oil.

5 ably, and as shown, the springs 29 serve also to It is an object of this invention to prevent oil hold the baille on the pressure plate, the ends of from reaching the driven plate by means which at least some of said springs engaging both the projecting lug formations on the pressure plate Figure 1 is a transverse section through a and the elongated radial extensions of the baille.

l Such a bafe serves to block the air flow and Figure 2 is a plane view of the novel baille to prevent oil from reaching the driven plate.

Such a baflle, however, if made solely of sheet Figure 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Figure 2. kmetal, serves to transmit engine noises and is The engine shaft 5 is secured to the flywheel l. for this reason objectionable.

Numeral Il is the ring gear which l5 transmission of noise the baffle is made of metal is adapted to be engaged by the pinion of the associated with a suitable sound deadening A cover and spring abutment material such as asbestos. marked I3 is shown. It is secured to the ytwo layers of metal marked 41 and 49 in Figure 3.

The transmission shaft I1 enters Between them is a layer of asbestos.

the enclosure formed by the flywheel and the tongues 5I punched out from the metal laminae, cover and its end is piloted within the engine these tongues extending into the asbestos to lockk shaft Where an anti-friction bearing I9 is proit to the metal layers. vided. The driven shaft carries a hub 2| operis kept from the driven plate and the result is ably connected to a driven clutch plate member obtained without the transmission of noise. 23 by means of torque transmitting springs 25. 25 I claim:

A pressure plate 2l is guided by the cover for l. In a friction clutch, in combination with a axial reciprocation. It moves to grip the driven pressure Plate, a cover plate and Springs engaged plate under the influence of suitable spring between said plates at points spaced circumfero means 29. Itis re1eased by the rotation of levers, entiallv thereof, whereby t0 urge said plates The levers are fulrelatively away from one another, a baille plate crumed on the cover at 33 and are operably condisposed between said pressure plate and said nected to suitable members 35 carried by the cover plate, said baille plate having Peripheral The levers are rocked by moveportions engaged between one of said plates and ment of a ring 31 which may be actuated by suitsaid spring and being thereby supported. said able mechanical devices connected with the 3 baffle plate irllilding said Peripheral POrtiOIl being formed of a laminated material compris- Y Under the inuence of the rotation of the parts ing Outer sheets 0f thin Sheet metal and a layer described above there tends to be a flow of air 0f SOllnd deaderlirlg material sandwiched bethrough the clutch in the direction of the artween said Sheets. row a. In the absence of anything to prevent it, 2- Irl a Clutch mechanism fOr driVrlg and this flow of air may develop a suction condition driven members, a relatively heavy ring-like within the clutch enclosure to the left of the pressure member radially spaced from and driven plate (Figure 1). Oil in the form of mist axially movable with respect to said driven memmay be drawn through the region where the her, means yieldably urging Said pressure memflywheel is in contact with the ange of the en- 4 ber in one direction of its axial movement, abutgine shaft. It is the purpose of this invention ment means for said yieldable means, a clutch A bam@ plate is disc mounted on said driven member and exidentied as a whole by numeral 39. The baille tending radially therefrom, said disc having a plate takes the form of a disc with a central DOrtOIl thereOf dSDOSed between said driving opening of such size as to accomodate shaft l1. 50 member and said pressure member, and a closure At its margin it is shaped as at 4| to extend member extending radially between said driven axially along and to snugly t the inner wall of member and said pressure member, said closure pressure plate 2l. It terminates in a short cirmember being disposed axially between said cular radial extension 43 which engages in a 55 clutch plate and said abutment means and adgroove in the pressure plate. At a plurality of positions the extension 43 is elongated and channeled as at 45 to engage coacting formations on the pressure plate whereby the disk may rotate jointly with the pressure plate. Prefer- To avoid the Preferably there are There are By this expedient the oil jacent the face of said pressure member 0pposite said clutch disc, and being constructed of a laminated material comprising sheets of thin said sheets, and means on the periphery of said plate interposed between said springs and the pressure plate so as to support the baille plate.

4. In a friction clutch, in combination with an annular pressure plate, a cover plate and springs engaged against said pressure plate, a baille plate traversing the opening in said pressure plate, said baille plate having on its periphery radially extending ears engaged between said springs and said pressure plate so as to support said baille plate, said baffle plate including said ears being formed of a laminated material comprising sheets of thin sheet metal and a layer of sound deadening material sandwiched between said sheets.

5. yIn a friction clutch, in combination with an annular pressure plate and springs engaged against lugs on said pressure plate for moving said pressure plate in clutch engaging direction,

a baille plate traversing the opening in the pressure plate to intercept oil moving toward said opening, said baille plate having on its periphery radially extending ears indented to partially receive some of said lugs and engaged between said springs and said lugs so as to locate and support said baille plate in xed relation to said pressure plate, said baille plate and said ears being uniformly `constructed of a laminated material comprising sheets of thin sheet metal and a layer of sound deadening material sandwiched between said sheets.

6. A friction clutch as defined in claim 4, wherein said sheets are perforated to provide a multitude of tiny lugs pressed into said sound deadening material.

7. In a clutch, a driven shaft, an annular pressure plate surrounding said shaft and radially spaced therefrom, yielding means to move said pressure plate axially to clutch engaging position, a baille supported solely at its outer marginal region at the inner edge of the pressure plate, the inner edge of said baille being free and closely surrounding said shaft, said baille being formed from contiguous layers of metal and fibrous material.

8. In a clutch, a driven shaft, an annular pressure plate surrounding said shaft and radially spaced therefrom, yielding means to move said pressure plate axially to clutch engaging position, a baille supported solely at its outer marginal region at the inner edge of the pressure plate, the inner edge of said baille being free and closely surrounding said shaft, said baille being formed from spaced metal layers with an interposed layer of fibrous material.

9. In a clutch, a driven shaft, an annular pressure plate surrounding said shaft and radially spaced therefrom, yielding means to move said pressure plate axially to clutch engaging position, a baille supported solely. at its outer marginal region at the inner edge of the pressure plate, the inner edge of said baffle being free and closely surrounding said shaft, said baille being formed from spaced metal layers and an intermediate layer of asbestos, said vvmetal layers having tongues each directed toward the opposite metal layer and operable to lock the asbestos and metal layers together.

RICHARD C. STOLTE. 

